Five years have passed since Archbishop Elpidophoros of America was enthroned. After arriving in New York on June 19, 2019, he met with hierarchs, clergy, and Archdiocesan staff. Three days later, on June 22, 2019, he was officially enthroned at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New York, NY. On June 23, at the Archdiocesan offices, he told staff, “This is the first day of a long and fruitful ministry.”
Archbishop Elpidophoros brought a wealth of experience to his role. As a young deacon in the Patriarchal Court, he trained closely with the Ecumenical Patriarch, honing his skills for future service. As a priest, he managed the Chief Secretariat of the Holy and Sacred Synod. Later, as Metropolitan of Bursa and Abbot of the Holy Trinity Monastery at Halki, he oversaw the welfare of the ancient See and the Theological School and Monastery.
In his enthronement address, he stated, “I am here—your new Archbishop—to listen to you, to dialogue with you, and to work with you. My prayerful aspiration is to stand before you and beside you, to lead by example and exhortation, and to minister through service and sacrifice.”
Under his leadership, the Archbishop has held more frequent meetings with the Metropolitans of the eparchial synod, invested in Jewish-Christian relations, and reinvigorated ministries such as African American outreach and Spanish language services. He emphasizes the importance of building bridges and creating relationships, noting that these connections are central to the Church’s mission.
As he begins the next phase of his ministry, Archbishop Elpidophoros’s inaugural words remain relevant: “This is what it means to be church: to look back at its traditions and to look forward to sharing its treasures by establishing its roots in the local surroundings and circumstances.”
Source: GOARCH / Photos: GOARCH/Dimitrios Panagos and Brittainy Newman